Aftermaths a Campers! story
by Neuropsych
Summary: What happens to Jack and Sam after Camp? Read and Review, please! (PG-13 for some serious content and maybe a little bad language)FINISHED
1. Default Chapter

Author's Note: Oh, I can't believe how easily I let some of you manipulate me! This isn't a sequel... (Well, I suppose it is, yes) I did leave the Jack/Sam thing way open, and I know a lot of you wanted more, so this story will be for you. No promises that it'll make everyone happy, and I don't know how long it will be and where it will lead, so you'll just have to read on... As usual, I'll update quickly, so you won't have to wait any longer than necessary, but I reserve the right to give you cliffhangers where I will.  
  
Disclaimer: SG-1 isn't mine...  
  
~*~  
  
"How does it feel, Colonel?"  
  
Jack O'Neill stretched his right arm out, then moved his hand, flexing his wrist every direction he could. There wasn't any pain, and it was a relief to have the brace off.  
  
"Feels great, doc."  
  
Janet Fraiser nodded, and took his hand in hers, running her fingers along his right forearm to check for any swelling. Finding none, she shrugged.  
  
"You're healed."  
  
"That's it?"  
  
"That's it."  
  
"There should be some kind of cake or something."  
  
"Sorry. Maybe you and Daniel can go celebrate. He got his off this morning."  
  
Jack grinned, and slid off the examination table.  
  
"Thanks, doc."  
  
"You're welcome, Colonel. It wouldn't be a bad idea to baby it a little for the next week or so, though. Just to be sure."  
  
"You got it."  
  
He left the infirmary, feeling pretty good.  
  
"Jack!"  
  
O'Neill turned and saw Daniel coming up behind him at a trot, and stopped to wait for him to catch up.  
  
"Hey, Daniel."  
  
"Hey. You got your brace off, I see."  
  
"Yup. Frasier said you got yours off this morning? Congratulations."  
  
"Thanks." Daniel looked at him curiously for a moment, and Jack looked back at him.  
  
"Was there something you needed, Daniel?"  
  
"Um, yeah. Have you seen Sam?"  
  
"Not this morning. Why?"  
  
"She was supposed to meet me in my office this morning, and she never showed up. I was just wondering if you knew where she was."  
  
"Did you try calling her?"  
  
"Yeah. There was no answer."  
  
"Huh. No messages left for you with the OD?"  
  
Daniel stared at him.  
  
"Officer of the Day."  
  
"Oh! No."  
  
"That's unusual. Sam's usually good about calling and leaving a message if she's going to be late, or if she got caught up in something."  
  
"I know."  
  
"I'll find her," Jack said. "And let her know you were looking for her."  
  
Daniel nodded; that was what he'd been hoping Jack would say.  
  
"Thanks, Jack."  
  
"Anytime. You want to go out tonight? Celebrate the braces off thing?"  
  
"Sure. We'll figure it out over lunch."  
  
"Sounds good."  
  
Daniel turned and walked back down the hallway, and Jack headed for Carter's lab, on the off chance that she'd snuck into work early, and had become so engrossed in something she'd lost all track of time. 


	2. 2

Carter wasn't in her lab. Jack really didn't expect her to be, but it was worth a shot. To save himself any more needless searching, he used the phone in Sam's lab to call up the guard shack at the main gate. It was a military base, after all. If someone goes through the gate, they get noticed and checked. Even someone who goes in every day. The watch Sergeant told him that Carter wasn't on the list of people who'd been checked in, and offered to call him if she showed at the gate.  
  
"Thanks," Jack said, hanging up. He called Carter's house, thinking that she might have slept in, but there wasn't an answer. O'Neill hung up, and looked around the lab again, wondering where the heck she was. He picked up the phone once more and dialed Hammond's office.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"What can I do for you, Colonel?"  
  
"I was just wondering if you've seen Major Carter this morning, Sir."  
  
"No, Colonel. I haven't. Is she missing?" There was sudden concern in Hammond's voice. Jack O'Neill wasn't the only Commander that cared for the people that served under him, and Hammond had noticed that Carter had been drooping lately.  
  
"Well... not really missing, Sir." Jack said. "She just isn't around."  
  
"You tried her house?"  
  
"Tried calling, Sir. I was going to go over there."  
  
"You do that, Colonel, and keep me informed."  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
Jack hung up and left the lab. He stopped long enough to check with the OD to see if there'd been any messages in the last few minutes, but there wasn't. Shrugging, and trying to suppress his concern, he left the base and headed for Carter's.  
  
~*~  
  
Her car was parked on the street. Jack slammed the door of his truck shut, and trotted up the sidewalk, looking around instinctively for anything that might mean there'd been trouble. Not that he really expected there had been, but it was a natural thing for him to do. Everything looked the same as it had the last time he'd been there.  
  
He didn't bother to knock. He'd always had a key, but since they'd returned from camp, he'd been at her house almost as often as he'd been at his own. He opened the door, and went on in.  
  
"Sam?"  
  
At the base such familiarity wasn't common between them, since they were still fairly secretive about their new relationship, but here in her house, it was automatic. There wasn't a response, and Jack walked into the living room.  
  
"Sam?"  
  
He heard a noise from the bedroom, and headed down the hall, his hand reaching for his gun, just in case.  
  
She was there. Slumped on the floor by the bed, leaning half against the side of one of the dressers and half sprawled.  
  
"Sam!"  
  
He rushed over and knelt down beside her, looking for any sign of injury.  
  
There was no blood that he could see. No broken bones that were obvious. Nothing. But she was pale. God, she was so pale.  
  
"Sam." He reached out and cupped her cheek with his palm, turning her head to face him. Her eyes were closed, but they opened at his touch.  
  
"Jack..."  
  
"What is it, Sam? What's wrong?"  
  
She shook her head, frightened tears trickling down her cheeks. The tears frightened Jack far more than anything else. She was so strong and self- assured, and if she was afraid, then he was, too.  
  
"Do you hurt?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
O'Neill turned and reached for the phone that was next to the bed, and called for an ambulance. He gave them the address and then sat down on the floor next to her, cradling her gently in his arms as he waited for help to come.  
  
~*~  
  
He'd called the base once they reached the hospital. There wasn't anything else he could do, and he knew he didn't make much sense with his call. The Colonel, normally calm and cool under the worse pressure, was a wreck. The doctors and nurses that had met the ambulance wouldn't let Jack stay with Carter as they whisked her off into the back rooms, no matter how angry he'd become. Or maybe because of how angry he'd become. So he had no idea what was going on, and no one would tell him anything. He'd asked so many times that the nurses at the duty station only shook their heads whenever he came close.  
  
Fraiser had arrived almost immediately. She'd given him a quick look to make sure he wasn't injured – which was more habit than anything else – then had vanished into the back room as well, flashing her ID and telling the nurses that she was Carter's regular doctor. O'Neill was glad to see her, knowing that Sam was in the best hands possible, but he still he paced. 


	3. 3

"Jack!"  
  
Daniel came running in only a short time after Frasier had arrived, and was followed closely by Teal'c and General Hammond. O'Neill stopped his pacing as they came up to him, but the inactivity only increased his fretfulness and he was practically quivering when Hammond and the others reached him.  
  
"Jack. How is she?"  
  
"I don't know. They won't tell me what's wrong." He looked over at the Nurse's station, and his temper flared, driven by his anxiety. "They won't tell me anything!"  
  
Heads turned, but Jack ignored them.  
  
"Calm down, Colonel," Hammond said, putting a hand on his shoulder. The General understood Jack's concerns, but he knew it was important to keep a bit of discipline as well. Especially since Jack was in uniform. The last thing they needed was a scene.  
  
Jack shrugged Hammond's hand off, turning back towards the door that he'd last seen them take Carter through. He'd never felt more useless or helpless in his life. He crossed his arms over his chest, practically hugging himself. It was all he could do to keep from rushing in there and insisting they tell him what was going on. If Fraiser wasn't in there and Jack wasn't sure Carter was absolutely in the best care possible, he might have done it. As it was, he simply stared and stewed. It was all he could do.  
  
~*~  
  
The day that had started so well slowed to a crawl for Jack and the others. Nurses came and told Jack he had to move from the door to let doctors and nurses in, but aside from that they ignored him. Then they ignored Daniel, who went up to ask if there'd been any change. They'd even ignored Hammond. Teal'c wasn't so easy to ignore when he went up, and the nurse that he glared at broke down a little and said they were taking the best care of Carter that they could, and that a doctor would be out to see them as soon as possible. It wasn't much, but it was more than the others had heard. Hammond was almost constantly on the phone, running the base from the hospital for the afternoon, and Daniel and Teal'c had taken positions on either side of Jack. Close enough to be comforting without seeming to smother if he needed to pace.  
  
Then Fraiser had appeared. Jack saw her first, since he was still staring at the door, but the others weren't far behind, and by the time she had the door all the way open and was out, she was surrounded.  
  
"Doc?"  
  
She had a guarded look in her eyes that Jack knew was bad. Right away he knew it was bad. She didn't smile as she would have if things were okay. Even the fake bedside manner smile would have been preferable to the look she gave Jack. He felt his stomach clench as fear gripped him. Was it that serious?  
  
"She's stable."  
  
Janet said, softly, more to Hammond than the others. Janet was having trouble looking Jack in the eye. The hurt and fear in O'Neill's gaze were heartbreaking to one who knew him so well and had very rarely seen him so vulnerable.  
  
"What's wrong with her?" Hammond asked, beating Jack to it.  
  
"I can't tell you, Sir. Not yet."  
  
"You mean you don't know?" Daniel asked.  
  
"I mean we need to run some more tests and get her awake."  
  
"She's unconscious?" Jack asked.  
  
Frasier nodded. "We had to put her under for a while, Colonel. She'll come around soon. We could move her to the SGC, but they have very good facilities here, and I think it'd be better for her if we just keep her here."  
  
"Whatever you think is best, Doctor." Hammond said.  
  
"Can I see her?"  
  
"As soon as they move her upstairs, yes. But only for a minute." Frasier looked at Teal'c and Daniel, "Maybe you two can take Colonel O'Neill down to the dining room and get something to eat while you wait."  
  
"Um, sure." Daniel looked at Jack, expecting resistance. Which he got immediately.  
  
"I'm not hungry. I'll wait here."  
  
"You can't wait here. You're annoying the nurses."  
  
"Too bad." Jack looked over at the nurse's station and glared.  
  
"Colonel? Do I have to order you to keep a civil tongue?" Hammond understood O'Neill was upset, but the man was really pushing it. Jack turned to the General, his temper flaring once more, but this time he quelled it before he could say something that he didn't mean, to one of the people he most respected in the world. He visibly pulled himself together a little, and shook his head.  
  
"No, Sir."  
  
"Good." Hammond had seen the emotions on O'Neill's face and was glad that nothing had been said that couldn't have been taken back. "Civil tongue, and a civil attitude, or I'll order you back to the base."  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
"Good." Hammond turned to Teal'c and Daniel. "Take him down and get some lunch. All three of you. Doctor? Is there anything we can do for her?"  
  
Frasier shook her head. "She's getting the best care we can give her, Sir."  
  
"I know she is." It was a compliment that was well earned. Fraiser took good care of the SGC's people, and they all knew it. Fraiser accepted the compliment with a slight nod. "I'd better get back in there. I just wanted to let you know what was happening."  
  
"Thank you, Doctor."  
  
Frasier left, and Hammond turned the others.  
  
"Are you still here? Go on, get to the cafeteria. I'll send for you when they've got her moved and Doctor Frasier lets me know it's all right for you to see her."  
  
A very reluctant Colonel followed his team down the hall, looking backwards every now and then until they went around a corner. Hammond watched every move, waited until they were out of sight and well on their way, then went over to one of the chairs and sat down to wait. Rank has its privileges, after all. No one in the hospital could order him out of the room, and he had every intention to sit there and wait until he knew what was wrong with Carter. 


	4. 4

Never had soup and a turkey sandwich looked so unappealing. Jack stared at his bowl in the cafeteria, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind all at once and so quickly that he was having trouble focusing on anything in particular. Jack didn't even bother to pretend to eat. He was so tense he probably wouldn't have been able to hold anything down anyways. What was wrong with her? What were they doing to her? He sighed, frustrated. He shouldn't be sitting in the cafeteria, he should be with her.  
  
"She'll be fine, Jack." Daniel said, setting his fork down. He'd been trying to eat to set a good example for O'Neill, but since it was obvious that Jack wasn't going to eat, there was no sense in him trying to. Jack looked at Daniel, but he didn't say anything smart-assed as he might have. He was too worried to bother.  
  
"I am certain of it as well, O'Neill," Teal'c said. The Jaffa hadn't bothered to get anything to eat. He wasn't hungry, and Hammond wasn't there.  
  
Jack knew what they were trying to do, and he knew that later he'd appreciate it far more than he did just then, when worry was all he could feel. He looked back down at his soup, and pushed the bowl away, unwilling to even pretend to be interested.  
  
"Jack O'Neill, please report to the 5th floor Nurse's station. Jack O'Neill, please report to the 5th floor Nurse's station."  
  
He was on his feet before the announcement over the hospital intercom had finished the first time, and was out the door before the repeated message was done. Daniel and Teal'c right behind him. The elevator wasn't fast enough for O'Neill's nerves, and he practically bolted out of it the moment the doors swooshed open on the 5th floor.  
  
Hammond and Fraiser were both standing by the Nurse's station, and Jack made a beeline for them.  
  
"Is she awake?"  
  
Fraiser nodded. "She's very groggy, though, Colonel."  
  
"Can I see her?"  
  
"Yes, as long as you don't try to carry on a conversation. Nothing more than hello. Okay?"  
  
Jack nodded. He would have promised anything just then to see Sam.  
  
"Two minutes, no more."  
  
He nodded again, and Frasier pointed to a door that was labeled 509. Jack didn't stop for any more instructions. He went to the door, and opened it.  
  
The top of the bed was raised up, so Sam wasn't lying flat on her back. She was propped up with a pillow as well, and Jack thought she looked as pale as the sheets that she was sleeping on. He walked over silently, frowning at the dizzying and frightening array of wires and monitors and tubes that were keeping tabs on her health. Her eyes were closed, but Jack reached out and carefully took her hand, looking back at the door as he did so. Frasier hadn't said he couldn't touch her, but she hadn't exactly said he could, either, so he checked to see if anyone was going to stop him. No one was even looking.  
  
Carter's eyes opened when she felt him take her hand, and she looked up at him, her eyes glassy and unfocused.  
  
"Hey," Jack whispered softly, trying to force a smile even as he was biting his lower lip to keep from allowing her to see his fear. The last thing she needed was to worry about him.  
  
"Hi." Her voice was soft, and as unfocused as her gentle gaze. "What happened?"  
  
He didn't have a clue. How could he tell her?  
  
"I don't know. Do you hurt?"  
  
She shook her head. "I don't... feel anything. Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah. Just worried about you."  
  
He couldn't help himself; Jack leaned over and pressed his cheek gently against her own.  
  
"Fraiser says I have to let you rest, so I'm going to go."  
  
"No."  
  
"I'll be close by if you need me, Sam, but you need to get some sleep."  
  
She would have argued with him, but she was already starting to drift off. Jack watched as her eyes closed slowly and he felt her grip slacken in his own. He waited for her to fall asleep, which didn't take long. Once she was asleep, he held her hand a moment longer, then walked back out into the hall, silently closing the door behind him.  
  
"She fell asleep." He said to the group as he walked over to them. His voice was matter of fact, but his gaze was questioning as he looked at Frasier. She nodded.  
  
"She's pretty medicated, Colonel. It's not uncommon."  
  
"What's wrong with her?"  
  
"The tests haven't come back, yet."  
  
"What do you think is wrong with her?"  
  
"I don't want to guess until I have all the facts. We'll know soon."  
  
It wasn't the answer Jack wanted, and it was obvious he wasn't satisfied with it, but Hammond nodded.  
  
"Is she in any danger?"  
  
Frasier shook her head.  
  
"When will she wake up?" Jack asked.  
  
"Sometime this evening, most likely. There's no sense in any of you staying. I'll watch her and call you."  
  
Jack wasn't having any of that, and everyone in the hall knew what was coming before he even opened his mouth.  
  
"I'm not-"  
  
"You can stay, Colonel. As long as you stay out of the way." Frasier didn't feel like arguing with him, and there was no reason to keep him away, as long he agreed to do what she told him.  
  
Jack nodded, and the others were gently shooed off down the hall with promises that they'd hear the moment she woke. O'Neill leaned against the wall next to Carter's door, and watched as the others left.  
  
"Did you eat?" Frasier asked as Daniel took one look back before turning the corner out of sight.  
  
"I got soup."  
  
"Did you eat it?"  
  
Damn, she knew him pretty well after so many years. Jack didn't lie, he just evaded.  
  
"No."  
  
"I won't tell you that you need to eat, but if you don't take care of yourself you're not going to be any use to her."  
  
"What's wrong with her?" Jack asked. "You must have an idea."  
  
Frasier nodded. "I do. But I can't tell you until I tell her. And I can't tell her until I get her more stabilized."  
  
"What is it, Janet?" It was obvious he was frustrated. And worried.  
  
"I know it's hard, Colonel, but you'll have to wait."  
  
It was all she'd say, and he didn't dare press her too hard, knowing that if he did, chances were she'd call Hammond and have him order O'Neill out of the hospital. He didn't have a choice but to wait as she said. 


	5. 5

A beeping sound woke her. It wasn't a loud noise, but it was persistent, and just a little annoying. It seemed to be beeping in the same rhythm as the pounding in her head, which started as a dull ache when she hovered on the edge of consciousness but was a full-fledged throbbing by the time she actually opened her eyes to look around. Hospital. She'd woken in hospitals before – well, in the infirmary – so she knew one when she saw one. She just couldn't remember when she'd arrived. Or why. She closed her eyes, trying to remember. All she could recall was Jack. Jack talking to her, asking her if she hurt? Sudden panic caused her to open her eyes again, and she sat bolt upright in the bed.  
  
"Jack?"  
  
He heard her. As he'd promised, he'd never been out of shouting range for more than a moment. When Sam woke up, Jack had been leaning against the wall, his cheek against the cool surface. He'd heard her quite distinctively, and his reaction was immediate.  
  
"Doc."  
  
Frasier was close at hand as well. As she'd been all day. She stepped over and opened the door, but gestured for O'Neill to stay out for a minute. He didn't like that, but he stayed put. Instead, he paced.  
  
The doctor walked into the room, and smiled when she saw Carter sitting up, awake.  
  
"Sam, good."  
  
"Janet? Where am I? Is Jack – Colonel O'Neill all right?"  
  
"You're at the hospital, and he's fine. He's right outside the door." Frasier hadn't missed the slip, and truth to tell, she wasn't surprised. She was very observant, and Sam was her best friend. She'd noticed the change in relationship between Carter and O'Neill just from the difference in the way Sam spoke about him the last month and a half. She hadn't pried, since she knew Sam would tell her eventually. Besides, regulations aside, Frasier was pleased with the pairing. They were good for each other. Sam smoothed out the rough edges that were Jack's temper and Jack O'Neill forced Sam Carter to focus on something other than science and gadgets.  
  
"What happened?" Carter asked, looking over Frasier's shoulder towards the door, hoping to see him.  
  
The doctor's face lost the smile, and she sat down on the edge of the bed.  
  
'What do you remember?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
Sam vaguely recalled getting up that morning, and that was about it.  
  
Fraiser sighed, and set the clipboard that held Sam's test results aside. She knew them by heart anyways.  
  
"Sam, we need to talk."  
  
~*~  
  
Jack paced. And paced some more, and forced himself to stay away from the window in the door. And forced himself to be civil to the people that passed him as he paced. He was focused on the door, though, and didn't miss the low, muffled wail that sounded from inside. He turned and barged through the door, and saw Fraiser holding Sam, who was in tears. Fraiser saw him as well.  
  
"Out!" She snapped, and O'Neill rocked back on his heels and did what he was told. Instantly. He didn't want to, but he did. He would have argued. He would have bitched and griped and told her that he needed to be there. But Sam didn't need him arguing just then. Something was wrong, and he was terrified, but even in his own distress, he knew that hers was much greater, and hers needed to be dealt with. And Frasier was – presumably – dealing with it. Jack would have to wait until it was his turn to help. He retreated to the hallway, but stood right in front of the door, staring at the little window that didn't let him see anything.  
  
Janet came out of the room about ten minutes later, and found him still standing there. Still staring. Her face showed obvious signs that she'd been crying as well, but she was back in control, now, and ready to face O'Neill.  
  
"What's wrong?" Jack asked. Again.  
  
"Come over and sit down with me for a minute, Colonel."  
  
"I don't want – "  
  
"Colonel. Now."  
  
Fraiser walked to the next door down the hall and opened it, watching him expectantly. Jack looked at the door to Carter's room, then sighed, and followed the doctor. There were a few chairs and a couch and a desk. Jack ignored them all, and Janet leaned against the desk. She came right to the point.  
  
"Did you know Sam was pregnant?"  
  
He stared.  
  
"Obviously not," Frasier said, judging his reaction.  
  
"She's pregnant?" That wasn't bad. Not something to cry about, certainly. Not something to put Sam in the hospital. Jack felt a swell of happiness at the thought before he could even stop and wonder if maybe Sam wasn't quite so pleased.  
  
"No," Fraiser said, softly. "She isn't."  
  
Now he was confused.  
  
"But you just said –"  
  
"She was, Colonel." Fraiser shook her head. "I should have noticed sooner and asked her about it, but she told me she was just feeling a little under the weather, and I believed her."  
  
"That's what she told me." Jack said. Then he stopped. "What are you trying to tell me, Doc? Is she pregnant, or not?"  
  
"She was. Have you ever heard the term 'Ectopic pregnancy'?"  
  
He shook his head.  
  
"It's also called a tubal pregnancy, Colonel. The baby forms in the fallopian tube, and not in the uterus." She paused, incase he wanted to say something, but Jack was stunned into silence, already afraid of what he was going to hear next. She didn't make him wait long. "The baby can't survive there, and it's life-threatening to the mother. The longer we waited, the more chance there was of a rupture."  
  
Jack suddenly needed to sit down. His knees gave out, and he found himself in one of the chairs.  
  
"That's what happened to Sam?"  
  
"She didn't even know she was pregnant. She said she suspected, but that when she took an over the counter test it came back negative. Which happens sometimes, since the pregnancy isn't viable."  
  
"She lost the baby?"  
  
"The baby didn't have a chance, Colonel. As it was, it was a very close thing for Sam. If you hadn't found her when you did... or if she hadn't finally collapsed... it could have killed her."  
  
"Is... is she all right?"  
  
"Physically, she will be. I'll keep her here overnight, just to keep an eye on her, and then send her home in the morning. She won't be able to go back to duty for a little while, and she'll be sore, but that's all." She paused. "Mentally, though, she's in for a rough time. And so are you."  
  
"Me?" Jack was numb.  
  
Frasier nodded. "She needs you to be strong for her, Colonel. Depression is very common, and Sam's already showing signs of it."  
  
"Can I see her?"  
  
"She's afraid to see you."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"Because she's already blaming herself, and I'm sure she's afraid you'll blame her, too."  
  
"I don't blame her."  
  
God. He'd lost a baby he didn't even know he was going to have. Pain swept through him at the realization. Pain that Janet saw crease his features. She didn't know for sure what had caused the sudden hurt in his eyes; if it were the thought of Carter being afraid of him, or if he was finally grasping what had happened, but she responded to that pain by reaching down and putting her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Go see her, Jack. She needs to have you with her right now." And he needed her, too. Whether he knew it or not. 


	6. 6

He walked through the door into Carter's room without knocking. She was sitting in her bed, her knees drawn up against her with her arms wrapped around them, and she looked awful. Her face wasn't pale now; it was blotchy and red from crying. Her cheeks were smeared with tears and her eyes were red and bright with tears that had yet to be shed. He looked at her, and loved her even more. She was beautiful.  
  
Sam heard the door open and turned, and watched as he entered the room. She'd known he was going to come. Even though she'd told Frasier she wasn't sure she wanted to see him, she'd known that nothing would have kept him away. Janet had said she'd tell him what had happened, for which Sam was grateful. She couldn't. She wouldn't know what to say. She'd never have been able to get through it. She saw from the look in his eyes that he knew, and Sam suddenly knew she'd failed him.  
  
"I'm sorry," She whispered so softly he almost didn't hear it.  
  
Jack walked over to the side of her bed and sat on it, careful of all the wires and tubes.  
  
"For what?" He murmured, almost as softly. He put his hand on her knees; wanting to touch her, but unsure if she wanted to be touched. Wanting to hold her, but unsure if she wanted that, too.  
  
"I... we were preg... and I-I couldn't ..." she broke down, and Jack gathered her into his arms, tucking her head under his chin as he wrapped his arms tightly around her and started to rock her.  
  
"This isn't your fault, Sam," Jack said, tears of his own stinging his eyes. "You didn't do anything wrong."  
  
He wasn't even sure if she could hear him over her sobs, but he said it anyways. And kept repeating it over and over. A litany that she'd have to believe eventually, because he'd keep telling her it until she did. She didn't answer him. She only clung to him and buried her face against his chest and cried until the exhaustion from the day, and the lingering effects of the medication they'd given her caught up with her, and she dozed off into a troubled sleep.  
  
O'Neill felt her falling asleep, and didn't try to keep her awake. Certain that rest could only do her good, he ran his hand gently along her back, soothing her as well as he could with a touch, and trying to relax her even further so that she could sleep. Even when he was certain she wasn't hearing him anymore, Jack still held her, unwilling to let her go after a long day of doing nothing but worrying about her. His strong arms cradled her carefully, and his mind started doing some heavy thinking.  
  
Their secret was out. There was no way Fraiser wasn't going to tell Hammond what had happened – she'd have to - and there was no way Jack was going to let anyone think the baby had been anyone's but his. Not because of some manly pride, but because he wasn't going to let her face this alone. He'd thought a lot over the past month and a half about how he was going to tell Hammond what was going on, but hadn't come up with anything that made sense, and didn't get him and Carter into trouble or reassigned. This, of course, was the absolute worst way for him to find out, but it was almost a relief that he'd know. They wouldn't have to hide it, anymore.  
  
"Colonel?"  
  
He was pulled from his thoughts by Frasier. He hadn't even heard her walk in, but when he looked up she was standing right beside the bed.  
  
"You should go."  
  
"I can't leave her."  
  
"She's asleep. She's still heavily medicated, and the shock is catching up to her. She's not going to wake up anytime soon."  
  
"I don't want to leave her."  
  
"I know. But she won't know you're gone." Fraiser said, reasonably, trying to convince him that it wouldn't hurt her to be alone while she slept. "She can't rest comfortably like that, and you're going to ache if you try to stay in that position any longer."  
  
Jack very reluctantly let Sam go and lowered her back against the pillows, pulling her legs gently down so she was in a more comfortable position. Frasier tucked her blankets around her, and rested a hand on O'Neill's shoulder.  
  
"I have to report to General Hammond," she said. "He'll-"  
  
"She's going to sleep all night?" Jack interrupted.  
  
"Probably."  
  
"Can you guarantee it?"  
  
"I could sedate her, if that's what you mean. I thought about doing it earlier, but I wanted her lucid. The medication she's on will help make her sleepy. It wouldn't take much to keep her out all night."  
  
"You do that," Jack said, leaning over and brushing a tender kiss across Sam's damp brow. "I'll go report to General Hammond."  
  
"Colonel?" She wondered what he meant by that.  
  
"You heard me. I'll go talk to him right now." Now, while he was still numb. "You stay with her, and make sure she doesn't wake up to find me gone." He realized he was barking out commands, and took a deep breath. "Please?"  
  
"Are you sure?" She asked him, wondering what he was planning. He suddenly looked so determined. "I don't mind –"  
  
"I do. I'll take care of it. Of all of it."  
  
He turned and headed for the door. 


	7. 7

Author's Note: I've never ended a story on a sad note, and never will... (Not that I'm going to ruin the ending for you guys, but I like Jack and Sam too much to make them forever unhappy)  
  
~*~  
  
Hammond was in his office, as Jack had known he'd be. He'd want to be by a phone and someplace that Frasier could find him. He was a good commander, who would sit close to a phone and wait to hear the condition of one of his own. Jack knocked on the door, and waited to be told to enter. Permission came immediately.  
  
"Jack! What are you doing here?"  
  
Hammond had assumed that O'Neill would be at the hospital all night. For that matter, he assumed O'Neill would be there more or less until Carter was released. But here he was, looking stressed and worn, and upset.  
  
"Is Major Carter awake, yet?"  
  
Jack nodded, "She was, Sir. For a little while."  
  
"Did Doctor Frasier find out what was wrong?"  
  
"Yes, Sir. That's why I'm here."  
  
"I don't understand, Colonel. I could have waited for the Doctor's report."  
  
"Yes, Sir, I know." O'Neill looked a little uncomfortable, but there was a resolute set to his jaw that belied that discomfort. "I told her I'd come and report to you."  
  
"Why would you do that?" Hammond asked, truly confused and feeling like he was missing something. "What business is it of yours?"  
  
"Funny you should ask that," Jack said, sitting down. The expression on his face and the tone of his voice said it was actually anything but funny, though, and Hammond leaned forward, waiting for him to continue.  
  
Jack was silent for a moment, trying to figure out where to begin, and decided to just start at the beginning, when they'd been sent off to Camp. He started there, telling Hammond pretty much everything that had happened that had a bearing on his relationship with Carter. How it'd started as a ruse to avoid the unwanted advances of another counselor and had grown from there. He didn't need to remind Hammond that he'd had feelings for Carter long before that, though. Everyone knew that. But he did tell him how easily they'd slipped into the role of doting couple at camp, and told him how it'd changed from a subterfuge into a true relationship. One that didn't end when they got back.  
  
He didn't spare anything. As long as he was telling the story, there was absolutely no reason told back. Hammond, for his part, just sat and listened, without interrupting. He didn't know why O'Neill was telling him all this, but he knew there had to be a reason. He'd wait and hear it all before responding.  
  
Then Jack moved the story to the hospital, and what was wrong with Carter. His voice broke when he mentioned the pregnancy, and he had trouble explaining the medical terms that Frasier had used with him. Not because he didn't understand them, but because he again started thinking about the baby that he didn't know about, and would never see. Luckily, he was close to done by then, and he just allowed it to trail off. Hammond had the jist of what was going on, and the reason behind it, and that was what Jack had intended.  
  
"Is she going to be all right, Colonel?" Hammond asked when he was finished.  
  
"Physically she'll be fine in a few days, according to Frasier. Mentally, she's a wreck, and she's going to need to be with the people she loves." He visibly braced himself for his next words. "That means me, General. I can't hide my feelings for her, and I won't. Not from you, or anyone."  
  
"Colonel, regulations-"  
  
"I know, Sir. Don't worry, I've already thought about that. I'm going to retire."  
  
"Retire?"  
  
"I've done it before, I can do it again." Jack said. He loved the SGC, but he loved Sam more. "I need to be with her, anyways."  
  
Hammond stared, and Jack sighed and rose to his feet.  
  
"I need to get back to her. I just thought it would be best if you heard it from me, first."  
  
He didn't wait for a response; he just turned and left before he bit through his lip in an effort to keep from breaking down. Hammond stared at the door as Jack closed it behind him, wondering how he'd managed to lose control of that situation so quickly, and already trying to figure out how to make things better. He wasn't about to lose O'Neill – or Carter, for that matter.  
  
Jack walked down the corridor towards Teal'c's quarters. He hoped the rest of SG-1 was there. He wanted to talk to Daniel and Teal'c next. They needed to hear what was going on. It wouldn't be as complicated to tell them since they were already aware of the relationship between him and Carter. They'd have to hear about his impending retirement, too.  
  
It turned out that they weren't around, though, and a call to the guard shack at the main gate told Jack that they weren't on base. It was fairly late by then, so he shouldn't have been surprised, but he was a little disappointed. He didn't want the rumors to fly and find the two before he did.  
  
Deciding he'd been away from Sam too long, Jack headed back to the hospital. 


	8. 8

"Jack!"  
  
He had barely made it out of the elevator when Daniel called his name. Jack saw that he and Teal'c were both sitting in the chairs outside Carter's room. Both were on their feet in moments, and Daniel was looking at him with concern in his eyes. Jack was certain that Fraiser had told them what had happened. Which was fine. They needed to know. Sam loved them, too.  
  
"Daniel. Teal'c. I was looking for you."  
  
"We came looking for you." Daniel said, looking Jack over, noting the wounded look in his eyes.  
  
"We were surprised that you were not here, O'Neill." Teal'c said, coming up to stand beside Daniel.  
  
"I was at the base. Talking to Hammond."  
  
"That's what Janet said. You told him about the..."  
  
"Yeah. And I told him everything else, too."  
  
"What did he say?"  
  
"Nothing." Jack hesitated. "I told him I'm going to retire."  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Isn't that a little extreme?"  
  
"Maybe, but it's necessary."  
  
"Um... why?"  
  
"Because."  
  
"Well, I can't argue with that logic."  
  
Jack turned towards the door to Sam's room. "I need to be with her right now, Daniel. Not offworld."  
  
"But later? What about then?"  
  
"I'll worry about later when it comes. For now, I have other responsibilities."  
  
He turned and went into Sam's room, unwilling to be interrogated any further.  
  
She was still asleep, as Fraiser had promised. Jack walked over and sat down on the edge of her bed, watching her sleep. He held her hand, and caressed her palm, but he was afraid to touch the rest of her, for fear of disturbing her. The other two didn't follow him in, and Jack was glad for it. He didn't feel like trying to explain himself to anyone anymore that day. He was all talked out, and just wanted to spend some time with Sam. Even if she was just sleeping.  
  
"Colonel?"  
  
He looked up and saw Fraiser standing next to the bed and realized he'd been lost in thought. Otherwise he'd have at least heard the door open.  
  
"Is she okay?" Jack asked.  
  
The Doctor nodded. "She's resting comfortably."  
  
"She looks comfortable."  
  
"You should go get something to eat."  
  
"I will."  
  
"Now."  
  
"Just let me spend a little time with her first," he said, looking at the hand he was holding. "I'll be fine, Doc. I promise."  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
Fraiser pulled up the chair that was at the foot of the bed and sat down in it, suddenly looking very tired.  
  
"Have you eaten?" Jack asked.  
  
"No, not yet. I will, though."  
  
"You go eat. I'll send for you if anything happens."  
  
"Why don't you come with me?" That way she could actually make sure he had something. "The nurses will watch Sam. Or Teal'c and Daniel can if they don't want to come with us. We won't go far."  
  
In the end, she talked him into it. No one else could have, but Fraiser had a knack at making Jack do things he really didn't want to do. He walked out of the room with her, and they gathered Teal'c and Daniel with them on the way to the elevator. Jack was silent, but Daniel and Janet made small talk on the way down to the cafeteria. Teal'c never made small talk. Jack simply grunted the couple times they asked him anything, and they soon gave up. He was glad, however, that they didn't discuss his retirement. He didn't know if they'd told Janet or not, but she didn't mention it if they had.  
  
~*~  
  
"Are you going to take her to your house, or hers?" Janet asked as Jack sipped on a cup of coffee, most of his meal sitting on the table uneaten in front of him.  
  
"Which do you think I should do?" He hadn't even thought of that.  
  
"It probably doesn't matter." Sam was just as comfortable at O'Neill's as she was at her own house.  
  
"My house, then. There's more room, and it's on a quieter street."  
  
"Are you set up for company?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Do you have food?"  
  
Did he? Jack stared at Fraiser, unsure.  
  
"I'll take that as a no."  
  
"I have food." Jack said, automatically. "Somewhere. I think."  
  
"Teal'c and I can go shopping, Jack."  
  
"Indeed."  
  
He nodded, "Thanks, guys."  
  
"We'll go now, and make sure your house is set up, too. Are you going to stay here tonight?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Only if he eats his dinner." Frasier said, pointing at the plate.  
  
Jack sighed, but took a bite.  
  
Daniel and Teal'c stood up to leave, and Teal'c rested a large hand on O'Neill's shoulder.  
  
"If you have need, call, and I will come."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
He watched as they left, and Fraiser watched him.  
  
"Daniel told me you're talking about retiring."  
  
"Not talking about. I told Hammond this afternoon."  
  
"Are you sure that's wise?"  
  
"It's necessary."  
  
"Sam won't be depressed forever."  
  
"No, but I'll still love her," Jack said. "Nothing will change. Regulations are regulations. I'm tired of hiding my feelings for her." He shrugged. "Besides, she's way more valuable to the SGC than I am."  
  
"That's not true."  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her in disbelief, but she wouldn't back down. He made a huge contribution, and she knew it. Brains were good, but there was something to be said for leadership and experience. He sighed.  
  
"It's moot."  
  
He stood up, tired of pretending to eat, and walked out of the cafeteria, heading for the elevator and her room. 


	9. 9

He spent the night in a chair in her room. Fraiser had tried to talk him into sleeping on the couch in the room next to Sam's, but he'd wanted to be close to her bedside in case she woke in the night. Frasier didn't argue, which actually surprised Jack. She just sighed, and gave him one of those looks that she always gave him when he was being difficult. Jack ignored it, and scooted the chair closer to Sam's bed, then sat in it.  
  
He hadn't intended to fall asleep. He'd planned on just sitting there in the dimly lit room and watch her as she slept. But the rhythmatical beeping of the monitor was soothing, and the day had been a long one. He found himself nodding off almost immediately, and by the time Frasier came in to check on Sam, Jack was asleep as well, slouched in the chair with his head tilted back in an angle that was guaranteed to leave him with a crick in his neck the next morning. Janet shook her head and smiled, then carefully covered him with a blanket and left him to his rest.  
  
~*~  
  
She woke before he did. Her eyes opened and she looked around, uneasy when she realized she was in an unfamiliar place. Then she remembered where she was and why, and she wished she could forget again. She sat up, slightly, uncomfortable, and saw him sleeping next to her bed. And started crying.  
  
Jack came awake instantly. Whether it was the crying, or the change in the beeping of her heart monitor, something woke him. He saw she was awake, and was quick to sit next to her on the bed and pull her into his arms once more.  
  
"Easy, Sam. I'm here."  
  
She nodded, but didn't say anything. She didn't have the breath for anything but her sobs. Of course he was there. He'd been there for her all the time. And she'd failed him. The sobs came harder, and he responded by holding her tighter.  
  
"I have you," he whispered. "It's going to be okay. I promise."  
  
She cried herself out on his shoulder. Cried until there didn't seem to be another tear in her, and her sides were screaming with pain, and still he held her. Finally the sobs diminished, then eased into sniffles and then sniffs as she tried to pull herself together a little.  
  
"I'm sorry..." She said, not moving her head from his shoulder.  
  
"Don't be," he whispered. There was no blame in his voice that she could hear. Only love and concern. A lot of concern.  
  
They held each other for a long time, and probably would have held each other longer if Frasier hadn't interrupted by knocking on the door and entering.  
  
Sam tried to quickly let go, but Jack held her close for another moment.  
  
"It's okay. She knows."  
  
Sam nodded, and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and then pulling away a little more slowly. Then she opened her eyes and looked at Frasier, who gave her the best bedside manner smile she had.  
  
"Good morning."  
  
"Hi." Sam's voice was weak, and hoarse from her tears.  
  
"Colonel? I need to have a few minutes with Major Carter. Why don't you step outside?"  
  
"I don't-"  
  
"Do it, Colonel."  
  
He sighed, and glared, but she ignored it, and Jack relented. Brushing a kiss across Sam's tear streaked cheek, he told her he'd be right back.  
  
"Do you have any pain?" Janet asked Sam as soon as the door closed behind Jack.  
  
She shook her head. "No."  
  
"None at all?"  
  
"A little."  
  
Fraiser nodded.  
  
"Any headaches? Any nausea?"  
  
Sam shook her head again, and Fraiser checker her readings on the EKG.  
  
"We don't need to keep you here, Sam. I'm going to let Jack take you home."  
  
Carter nodded, but lowered her head, and when she did, Frasier saw a tear fall into Sam's lap. She reached out and rubbed Carter's back gently, soothing her as well as she could.  
  
"It's going to be all right, Sam. I know it hurts, right now, though. You have to believe me."  
  
"I killed his baby."  
  
"No, you didn't. Don't even think this was your fault, because it isn't. It was just a terrible fluke. Nothing you could have done would have made any difference."  
  
"I can't believe he's not angry with me."  
  
"He loves you. And he knows it wasn't your fault."  
  
She was silent, and Frasier continued with what she'd been saying, trying to keep Sam's mind off her erroneously placed guilt.  
  
"I'm going to let him take you home," she repeated. "He's promised that he'll take care of you, but I'll be stopping by occasionally, just to make sure he's feeding you more than cereal."  
  
Sam managed a weak smile, but her eyes were as haunted as O'Neill's had been. Worse.  
  
"And if you need me, you only need to call, and I'll be right there."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Are you hungry?"  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"I'm not going to force breakfast down you, but I do want you to eat a good lunch later. I'll make sure the Colonel knows that, too. He's not eating, either. So you'll have to keep an eye on him." Hopefully the two of them could watch each other.  
  
"Because he's mad?"  
  
"Because he's worried about you." She corrected. "You know how he gets."  
  
She nodded. She did know.  
  
"Let's get you dressed, shall we? Then I'll go tell the Colonel to bring the truck around while we get you discharged." 


	10. 10

"I'm going to take you to my house, Sam. Okay?"  
  
They were sitting in his truck at the entrance to the emergency room. Sam hadn't said much of anything as Frasier put her in the wheel chair and wheeled her down to the main floor, and she nearly broke down into tears when she saw Jack waiting for her at the door, looking tanned and wonderful. He'd even held her tightly for a moment before he'd helped her into the truck.  
  
She nodded, and reached up to his rearview mirror, fingering the leather bracelet that hung from it. The leather was soft from repeated handling, and Sam felt tears welling in her eyes.  
  
"Sam."  
  
She turned and looked at him, and Jack reached out and touched her cheek gently.  
  
"It'll be okay."  
  
She shook her head, and looked down at her hands, which were now in her lap, but she didn't say anything, and Jack didn't press. Now wasn't the time. He reached over her and took her seatbelt, and clicked it into place, brushing a gentle kiss against her cheek as he did so.  
  
"I love you."  
  
He put his own seatbelt on, and put the truck into gear and pulled out of the parking lot.  
  
~*~  
  
"Here we are."  
  
He was trying to be as cheerful as he could. She was so quiet that it was unnerving to Jack. Normally, he was the quiet one of the two. He pulled up into the driveway, got out and then went around to open the door for her, and helped her out of the truck, aware that she was still a little sore.  
  
"You okay?" He asked, taking her hand.  
  
She nodded, but still didn't say anything, and Jack wordlessly led her up the walk and unlocked the front door. In the entranceway, sitting on a table, was a huge bouquet of flowers in an ornate crystal vase. There was a card. Jack opened it, then smiled and handed it to her.  
  
"For you."  
  
She took it and read it, and managed a weak smile. The flowers were from Daniel and Teal'c, and the card reminded her that they loved her. Obviously, Daniel had written it. She smelled them, closing her eyes as the fragrance soothed her momentarily. Jack merely stood there, giving her all the time she needed. He was going to have to do a lot of that, Fraiser had warned him.  
  
"Teal'c and Daniel said they were going to do some shopping," Jack said, moving past her and into the kitchen. "Apparently, Fraiser was afraid I didn't have enough food to feed company. So I'll see what they got, and you make yourself comfortable."  
  
She took the flowers and set them on the table, then walked over and sat down on the couch. Jack watched her carefully, even as he was opening cupboards and the fridge. He started coffee brewing, then came over and knelt in front of her, resting his hand gently on her knee and looking up into her sad eyes.  
  
"Are you hungry?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Thirsty?"  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"Do you want to talk about it, Sam?"  
  
"There's nothing to say," she whispered. "I killed our baby."  
  
"No you didn't, Sam. There wasn't anything you could have done differently."  
  
"If I would have talked to Janet sooner..."  
  
"There wasn't anything Janet could have done. This tube thing happens. And it can't be fixed, even if you know about it right away."  
  
Fraiser had told him that. Had armed him with every ounce of information she could about the pregnancy so he'd have ammunition if she started blaming herself. And Jack had listened, and was now glad he did.  
  
She didn't look convinced, but she didn't argue.  
  
"I wanted that baby..."  
  
She started crying, and this time, Jack cried with her as he held her. He didn't know about the baby until it was gone, but he'd wanted it, too. He cradled her in his arms as they sat on the couch, and together they mourned the loss of what might have been.  
  
"I'm sorry, Jack," Sam whimpered brokenly against him. "I'm so sorry."  
  
"It's not your fault, love." Again he repeated it over and over as she cried. She had to believe it eventually. He'd make her believe it eventually.  
  
~*~  
  
Fraiser reported to the SGC as soon as she had a chance to get home and change. The doctor was wiped out from the day before, but she was glad to be back on the base, and in her own infirmary. She was going to get some rest as soon as she could, but she figured Hammond would send for her to hear Carter's condition, and she didn't want to get to bed only to be woken up. So she stayed awake, organizing things and checking instruments. Everything was in good shape, as always.  
  
Then the summons came as she'd expected, and she went to Hammond's office.  
  
"Sir."  
  
"Doctor." Hammond looked as worn out as she felt, and Frasier wondered if he'd had any rest. "What's Major Carter's condition?"  
  
"She was released from the hospital this morning, Sir. Colonel O'Neill took her home with him. He'll be taking care of her, and I'll be checking in on them to make sure she's not suffering any complications."  
  
"Any physical complications."  
  
"Yes, Sir. There isn't much I can do about the emotional ones." She knew her next words were going to cause a reaction, but she said them anyways. "Colonel O'Neill is our best hope to get her through the mental part, Sir."  
  
Hammond sighed as if the very thought of Colonel O'Neill pained him. Which was a fairly accurate diagnosis.  
  
"We can't afford to lose her, Sir." Frasier said. "We can't afford to lose either of them."  
  
"O'Neill's going to retire. Did you know?"  
  
"He told me at the hospital. After he told you."  
  
"I can't accept that. If one retires, the other one will leave, too, and I will not lose two of my best people to a stupid regulation. Not to mention splitting up a team that has saved this damned planet more times than I can count."  
  
"What are you going to do?"  
  
"I don't know." Hammond looked at the red phone sitting on his desk for about the millionth time that day. Calling the president for something like this was crazy, though. There had to be a less drastic way. Besides, he didn't think Sam would care to have the president of the United States know about her personal problems. "I'll think of something, though." 


	11. 11

Sam fell asleep in Jack's arms. Frasier had warned him that she'd sleep a lot, but it was still discomforting that she drifted off so quickly. One minute she was sobbing, the next minute she was asleep. He was glad that Janet had warned him, though, because otherwise he would have worried. As she slept, he held her, needing the contact as much as she did. Running his fingers through her silky blonde hair was soothing for him, and it was a gentle motion that wouldn't disturb her. So he did. And fell asleep with her still cradled protectively in his embrace, her cheek pressed against his tear-soaked shirt, and his hand dropping to rest tenderly on her hip.  
  
~*~  
  
A chill woke Carter much later. She lay still for a minute, getting her bearings, and remembered where she was and whom she was with. It wasn't anything new for her to wake in O'Neill's house; she frequently stayed over, and they often dozed together on the couch, but not usually after crying themselves to sleep. Sam felt a now familiar sadness beginning to well up inside her, and she quelled it as much as she could. The grief was threatening to consume her, she knew, and she knew that it could be dangerous if she allowed it to, and she was trying to fight it. But it was so hard, and the pain so constant. It wasn't easy.  
  
She'd always thought she understood what Jack had gone through when he'd lost his son. She'd lost her mother, after all. She knew what sorrow was. But now she understood that a memory of a child's pain was far different than living through that same ordeal as an adult. She'd never realized that the years had dulled that pain and had made it far more bearable than she'd thought. It gave her a new respect for Jack. His pain had been very real, and very recent. Not a child's memory, either. He'd understood from the moment the gunshot sounded just what he'd lost, and had somehow managed to pull himself through it. She couldn't understand how he'd managed. She was hurting at the loss of a baby that she hadn't even known. Jack had had ten years with his son, and had a bond with Charlie that Sam would never understand until she experienced it for herself. One that was gone in an instant. How had he managed to make it through the darkness? Carter felt as though she was going to fall apart at any moment.  
  
She raised her head up from his chest and watched him sleep for a moment. He looked tired, she thought. There were worry lines that rarely went away, even when he was asleep, and they tended to deepen when he was especially troubled. Like now. She reached up without thinking and traced one along his forehead, and he opened his eyes and looked at her. First with concern, then with love as he realized that there was no threat. Sam felt that love to the very core of her being, although she felt a stab of chagrin when she realized she'd woken him. He probably needed the sleep, and she could have waited to touch him.  
  
"Hey..."  
  
He didn't mind waking up to her touch. There were far worse ways to wake up.  
  
"Hi. I'm sorry I woke you."  
  
"I wasn't sleeping."  
  
"Uh huh." She knew better.  
  
Jack smiled, knowing she knew better, and he touched her cheek. He opened his mouth to say something, and his stomach rumbled. Loudly. Sam smiled, not even realizing she was doing it, and placed her palm flat against his belly.  
  
"Hungry?"  
  
"Mm-hmmm. I guess so." He was so glad to see a grin on her face; he wasn't even annoyed that his stomach had betrayed him. "Are you?"  
  
She wasn't, but she knew he would feel better if she ate something, so she nodded.  
  
"I'll have whatever you're having."  
  
"Which means I have to get up and cook something."  
  
"Which means you have to go buy some groceries."  
  
She was trying hard to banter with him like they normally did. Jack understood, and gave her a hug.  
  
"Shows what you know," he told her. "Daniel and Teal'c already shopped, remember? All I have to do is cook."  
  
"All?"  
  
"Well... cooking isn't that hard." He didn't normally cook, true. But he wasn't as hopeless as everyone thought he was. Sam knew that.  
  
"Want some help?"  
  
He nodded, and Carter reluctantly left his arms and got to her feet. Then she noticed something she hadn't noticed before.  
  
"Hey, you got your brace off."  
  
"Yup. Daniel got his off, too." He held up his arm. "All healed."  
  
Sam ran her hand along his forearm, gently, and couldn't even feel any swelling. She wondered when he'd had it taken off, but she didn't ask.  
  
"We should have had cake or something," she said.  
  
"That's what I told them," Jack replied, getting to his feet and taking her into his arms. "No one was interested. And I'm not baking one."  
  
With his arm still around her, he went into the kitchen, and Sam leaned against the counter while he looked through the cupboards. Something quick and easy. Something quick and easy.  
  
"Soup?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Tomato soup, grilled cheese?"  
  
"Even better."  
  
He pulled out the soup and bread, and Sam took out cheese and butter from the fridge. He took them from her, and leaned down and pressed a kiss against her lips.  
  
"Go sit down, Sam. I'm cooking."  
  
She did as she was told, although she sat in one of the chairs at the table so she could still see him as he puttered in the kitchen. She didn't want to be alone. She didn't want to talk, really, either, and was grateful that Jack wasn't pressing her to carry on a conversation. It was comforting, though, to sit and watch him. 


	12. 12

Author's note: It's not a sequel! It's an... um... what was that word I used earlier...? A continuation. Yeah, that's it. An add on.  
  
~*~  
  
They spent the rest of the day on the couch. Sam stretched out and with her head in Jack's lap, and Jack with his feet up on the coffee table. No one called them that day, and no one came by. It was relaxing for both of them – although more so for Sam – and it was a good chance for them to spend time together without having anything pressing to do. It was also a good chance for Jack to remind Carter without words just how much he loved her – in case she had any doubts. His left hand was constantly touching her. Rubbing her back or shoulder, or caressing her cheek, he made sure that she understood he was exactly where he wanted to be. He'd even offered to read one of her hellaciously complicated books to her. Which she'd declined with a small smile. She was content to lie there. And so was he.  
  
Dinner was another quick and easy meal. Baked potatoes and all the trimmings. Sam didn't mind the simple menu; she was glad there wasn't anything too spicy or salty. Her stomach was a little queasy from the medications she was taking for infection, and the soothing foods were perfect. Of course, Fraiser had told Daniel and Teal'c what sort of foods to buy, which had made it easier for the doctor to control what Sam ate without her or Jack realizing it.  
  
"Want to watch a movie?" Jack asked her as he cleaned up the kitchen. (This was accomplished by simply throwing away the tinfoil that the potatoes had been baked in and putting away the sour cream and other toppings, so it was hardly a chore.)  
  
"Did you rent some?"  
  
"No. We'd have to watch a TV movie."  
  
Sam frowned. She hated movies that were interrupted with commercials. Jack caught the frown, and shrugged, "Or we could watch a game. Mariners are playing the Rockies tonight."  
  
Even though he mentioned it casually, Carter knew he wanted to watch the game. Otherwise he wouldn't have known who was playing. She nodded, more than willing to do what he wanted to do. She wasn't all that big a fan of baseball, but she did like to watch the pitchers adjusting their cups, and loved it when the cameramen caught someone picking his nose. She just had to wonder what their mothers were thinking when they saw their sons doing that sort of stuff on national TV.  
  
"Let's watch it in bed, though, okay?" She asked. That way, when she fell asleep during the game – which she would, and always did – then she wouldn't have to get up and go to bed.  
  
Jack nodded, and closed the fridge.  
  
"I'll make some popcorn, then. You go get ready for bed."  
  
He made her a pot of tea while the popcorn was popping away in the microwave. Night-time blend that she was so fond of. She kept a ready stash of it at his house, just for the nights that she stayed over. He burnt his fingers opening the popcorn bag, and muttered curses the entire time he was pouring the popcorn into a bowl, then set her tea and an empty mug on a bed tray and carried it down the hall and into the bedroom.  
  
Sam was in bed, propped up with a couple of pillows and already flipping the channels on the television, looking for the game for him. She was wearing one of his t-shirts, an old worn out Air Force shirt that she'd pretty much claimed as her own. He put the tray over her legs and took the opportunity to steal a kiss, which she returned gently.  
  
"Tea and popcorn," he told her. "I'm going to go shower really quick."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"You'll be okay?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
He kissed her again, and headed for the bathroom, admonishing her not to eat all the popcorn before he got back. Sam smiled and poured a cup of tea, appreciating the aroma, and the warm feeling she had that he'd been thoughtful enough to make some. Especially since he hated the stuff himself. God, she loved him when he did little, dumb stuff like that. She felt tears threatening, then stinging her eyes, and brushed them away impatiently. Crying because he was nice to her? What next?  
  
Almost as though he'd been afraid to leave her alone too long, Jack was back in just minutes, still drenched from the shower and with only a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was plastered to his head, and was still dripping onto his chest and shoulders. The first thing he did was look at her, and she knew her eyes must have been red, because he instantly had a concerned look in his own.  
  
"I'm okay," she said, quickly.  
  
He didn't look convinced. Sam tried to distract him.  
  
"You're dripping all over the floor."  
  
He looked down, saw that she was right, then starting drying his hair with his towel, which was a definite distraction for Carter.  
  
"You're sure you're okay?" He asked, not even aware of what he was doing.  
  
"I'm okay," she repeated, taking a sip of tea, but not taking her eyes off him.  
  
Jack finally realized what she watching, and he flushed slightly. Not because he was shy around her – far from it! – but because he wasn't sure how to deal with the idea of being intimate with her. It wasn't something he had discussed with Fraiser. And it wasn't something he planned to discuss with Fraiser. He wasn't sure if Sam would even be interested in sleeping in the same bed with him until she'd suggested that they watch the ball game together in bed, much less being intimate with him. Which wasn't the same as sleeping in the same bed.  
  
He wrapped his now wet towel around his waist again, and sat down on the edge of his bed, watching her, and wondering whether or not he should bring it up.  
  
"Don't stop on my account," Sam told him.  
  
"I'm dry."  
  
She reached out and ran her fingers along his damp chest and belly, something that would make Jack's heart stop any day.  
  
"Too bad."  
  
Sam was flirting with him. She knew it was fairly shameless, but she'd wanted to distract him and it was the easiest way she knew how. He was looking so seriously at her. His brown eyes were so easy for her to read when he allowed them to be, and Jack rarely put up any shields with Sam any more. He didn't have to hide his feelings from her, and hadn't in a long time. Sometimes, like now, he even forgot to when he wanted to. Which made it so clear that when he sat on the edge of the bed, he was more concerned than he had been when he came into the room and found her looking weepy- eyed.  
  
"Sam."  
  
"Jack." She didn't want to know what he was worried about. She didn't want to talk about anything just then. Carter just wanted him to hold her. "Come to bed. Please?"  
  
It was so ambiguous. Come to bed. Come to bed and hold me? Come to bed and watch the game? Come to bed and make love to me until I can't see straight? He still wasn't any closer to knowing what she wanted or needed from him, so he did what she asked. He lost the towel, and slid into bed, feeling about as uncertain as he'd ever felt.  
  
Sam took care of that for him. She slid closer to him, careful not to spill the tray that was on her lap, and cuddled up beside him. Jack put his arm around her and held her against his side, assuming that she'd wanted to be held. She did. But she wanted more just then, and when her hand started tracing gentle patterns along his inner thigh, O'Neill knew that he wasn't going to have to discuss this with Frasier. He leaned down and kissed her, and gave himself up to her, letting her take control so he wouldn't do anything she didn't want, and giving her whatever she needed from him. 


	13. 13

Author's note: I'm a child psychologist. I work independently most of the time, which means a lot of paperwork, but not all that many hours if I can manage to get it done right the first time.  
  
~*~  
  
He woke her the next morning with breakfast in bed. She felt the mattress move and opened her eyes just in time to see him setting the tray over her legs once more. His hair was damp, which meant he'd been up long enough to shower as well as cook, and he greeted her with a smile. A slightly uncertain smile, but one that reached his brown eyes and made them twinkle.  
  
"Good morning."  
  
"What time is it?"  
  
"Breakfast time."  
  
She stared at the tray, which held a dizzying array of food. Toast, eggs, sausages, bacon, a couple of waffles, an English muffin, jelly, butter and syrup, and hash browns. A fresh pot of tea, and another teapot that smelled of fresh coffee.  
  
"Um..."  
  
"You don't have to eat all of it, Sam," he said, understanding what she was staring at. "I just wasn't sure what you wanted. Whatever you don't eat, I will."  
  
He settled himself on the bed next to her, but he was lying on top of the blankets instead of under them with her.  
  
She wasn't all that hungry, but he'd obviously went through a lot of hassle to make her breakfast, and Sam didn't want all the effort to go to waste. Besides, if she didn't eat, he'd get that worried look in his eyes, and she hated seeing him worry. He'd already done so much worrying. The thought made her feel guilty, and she felt tears stinging her eyes again. Which made her frustrated, and made the tears that were threatening start trickling down her cheeks.  
  
"Sam? What's wrong?"  
  
She shook her head, and turned away from him, trying to hide the tears and brush them away at the same time. Jack scooted close enough to her that she could feel his body close to hers and reached up and rubbed her shoulder. He had expected tears, so he wasn't really surprised. He didn't know what had set them off, but he wanted to stay close so she'd know that whatever it was, she didn't have to face it alone.  
  
"I'm sorry..."  
  
"It's okay, Sam."  
  
"No it's not." Her frustration was obvious in her voice, and Jack rested his forehead against her side. The tray across her lap made it impossible for him to really hold her. It was so filled that he knew he'd spill something on her.  
  
"Yes, it is. It's natural."  
  
She turned to him. He sounded so sure of himself. Of something he didn't know anything about.  
  
"How do you know that?" She challenged, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.  
  
"Because Frasier said it was possible. She said it happens a lot when someone goes through what you did."  
  
"For no reason?"  
  
"There's a reason, Sam." He told her. "A good reason." He was silent for a moment, and then added in a very soft voice. "I used to do it all the time."  
  
"When you lost Charlie?"  
  
"Yeah." He looked down at the plate on the tray on her lap. "For absolutely no reason, I'd just start bawling. Anything could set me off. Good stuff, bad stuff. A scent of leather would remind me of playing ball with him. Walking by a pizza place would remind me of taking him out to eat. It happened all the time."  
  
"How did..." She sniffed, and he handed her a napkin to use as a tissue, and she blew her nose. "How did you get over it?"  
  
"I'm not over it." He told her simply. "It doesn't happen all that often, but every now and then, it will." He shrugged. "I just go on as well as I can, and try not to let it overwhelm me."  
  
Sam noticed that he wasn't wearing his dog tags that morning, but was wearing a leather necklace that had an arrowhead dangling from it, and she remembered the night that Jack had had a vivid reminder of his boy, courtesy of the boy that had made the necklace he was wearing.  
  
"You're stronger than I am..."  
  
He shook his head, and leaned against her again.  
  
"No, I'm not. I've had more time than you have to get used to the pain. Nothing more. You're one of the strongest people I know. It's one of the reasons I love you so much, because I know if I falter you'll be there to help me up." How many times had she done just that?  
  
"I don't feel strong right now."  
  
"I know, Sam. That's okay, though. I'm here for you, and I'll keep picking you up until you're steady again."  
  
She rested her head on his shoulder, unable to hold him or be held by him because of the tray on her lap, but needing to be as near him as she could.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
He reached out and picked up a fork off her tray, and stabbed a sausage.  
  
"You or me?"  
  
"You."  
  
He popped the whole thing in his mouth, and chewed it thoughtfully. Then stabbed a piece of bacon.  
  
"You or me?"  
  
"Me." She knew he wasn't going to let her say 'you' many more times before he forced something into her, and it did smell good. Jack held the bacon to her lips and she pulled it off, trying to eat it without stuffing the whole piece in her mouth like he had. It didn't work, and she ended up doing just that.  
  
That was how he managed to feed Carter a complete and rather large breakfast. He held something up, and let her decide who was going to eat it, making a game of it that she had no choice but to play. She ate more than he would have been able to get her to eat any other way, and Jack was pleased to see that she smiled more than once during the meal. 


	14. 14

"Fraiser just called," Jack said as Sam came out of the bathroom, drying her hair from her shower. She was wrapped snugly in Jack's bathrobe. She had one at O'Neill's house, but wanted to wear his. It smelled like him, and wearing it was comforting.  
  
"Checking on me?"  
  
"Yeah." He was doing the breakfast dishes, which was a bit more of a task than the dinner dishes had been. "She wanted to know if you were up for company. Cassie's worried about you, and wants to see you."  
  
"What did you tell her?"  
  
"I told her one of us would call her back."  
  
"I'll call her."  
  
"Okay."  
  
She walked over and stood next to him, watching as he washed the skillet he'd fried most of breakfast in.  
  
"I could have done that."  
  
"I wanted to."  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"I did."  
  
"Want me to dry?"  
  
"Nah, I got it. Go call Cassie."  
  
"Okay." She slid her hand under the back of his shirt, though, and ran her fingers along the tender, sensitive skin of the small of his back. Jack leaned over and kissed her softly in reply, and ran one wet, soapy finger along her cheek.  
  
"Go. Before I decide to keep you in bed all day instead."  
  
"Oh, please," Sam said with a smile. "Like that's much of a threat."  
  
Jack echoed her smile, and shooed her away.  
  
Sam went to the phone and dialed Janet's number. Jack listened with half an ear as she answered what must have been a million medical questions that Fraiser threw at her, assured her that she had, indeed, eaten breakfast – and no it wasn't cereal - and then made plans for the two of them to come to Jack's house for lunch.  
  
"Is that okay with you?" She asked Jack.  
  
"That's fine," he told her." He would have agreed to anything if it made her happy.  
  
She hung up, and went back into the kitchen.  
  
"They'll be over around 2:00."  
  
"Okay."  
  
The phone rang again, and Sam handed it to Jack to answer. It was Daniel, calling to check and see how things were going.  
  
"It's Daniel," Jack told her. "Can I invite him to lunch? Or would that be too many?"  
  
She shook her head. Suddenly she very much wanted to be surrounded by the people she loved, and who loved her.  
  
"I can't believe he's stayed away this long. Invite him and Teal'c both."  
  
"Did you hear that?" Jack asked Daniel. "Okay. 2:00. Bring cake."  
  
Sam smiled, and Jack gave her an innocent look.  
  
~*~  
  
There was a knock at the door about noon, and Jack went to get it, wondering if someone had shown up early. Hammond was standing outside, dressed in slacks and a button down shirt, and carrying a bouquet of flowers.  
  
"Thank you, Sir, you shouldn't have," Jack said, reaching for the flowers.  
  
Hammond pulled them back, smiling.  
  
"How's Sam doing?"  
  
"She's up and about. Come in and see for yourself."  
  
"Will I be in the way?"  
  
"Not at all. I was going to call you."  
  
"I was going to call you, too, but I decided to stop by instead." Hammond didn't make a move to enter the house, though. He wanted to say something, and he didn't really want Carter to hear it. As though he understood, Jack stepped outside and closed the door.  
  
"I'm not going to accept your resignation, Colonel."  
  
"With respect, Sir, you don't have that option."  
  
"Actually, I do." Hammond said, handing the flowers to O'Neill to hold while he pulled out a piece of paper. "This is a copy of an order from the President. Addressed to me. Telling me that during the duration of our war with the Gou'ld I'm not allowed to accept requests for transfers or resignations from any member of an SG team."  
  
"What?"  
  
Jack reached for the paper, and Hammond handed it over. It was exactly what he'd said it was. And it was dated long before the day that Jack had told Hammond he was going to retire.  
  
"When did you get this?"  
  
"Once the President realized how dangerous the Gou'ld were, and how important it was that we keep the Stargate program a secret, he put a military gag order on the program and the base. It's been in effect for well over a year, and I'm sure you'll understand why."  
  
Sure he did. He just couldn't believe what he was seeing.  
  
"I have to resign, Sir." Jack said.  
  
"No, you don't." Hammond sighed. "You've kept the secret this long, Jack, and it hasn't affected your relationship with Carter at work, or the relationship with the rest of your team, who obviously knew all about it. That's the main reason for the regulation. To avoid internal team problems because of relationships. Since you and Major Carter have proven you're not going to cause troubles within SG-1, I can't see any reason to separate you."  
  
"You're sure?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Jack stood there for a long moment, thinking it over, but he couldn't see anything to object to. It wasn't as though he wanted to leave the SGC. He just knew where his priorities were when the two things he cared most about collided with each other. As long as Hammond wasn't going to force him to choose, he wouldn't. Finally, he handed the flowers back to Hammond, and nodded.  
  
"Thank you, Sir. That's good news."  
  
"I'm glad you agree, Colonel. Now, can I come in and see Sam?"  
  
"Yes, Sir, of course."  
  
They walked in together, but Sam wasn't in the living room. Jack went back to the bedroom, worried suddenly that he'd left her alone too long and she'd become upset. She wasn't though, she was just sitting on his bed, looking for her book, which she'd left in his room that morning.  
  
"Hammond's here," Jack told her.  
  
"Here?" She looked worried, suddenly.  
  
"He knows, Sam." Jack told her. "He knows, and he's not going to do anything to split us up."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Trust me, okay? He knows about us, and he's not mad."  
  
She was dumbfounded, but she nodded anyways.  
  
"What's he doing here?"  
  
"Checking on you, of course. He's as worried about you as everyone else is."  
  
Jack pulled her to her feet, and kissed her before she realized what he was doing. The kiss was deep and hungry, and she melted against him as she returned it.  
  
"What was that for?" She asked breathlessly, when he released her finally.  
  
"Just a reminder. Now come on, he's waiting."  
  
They walked down the hall together, and Hammond smiled when he saw Carter on her feet, looking far better than he'd expected. He went over to her and handed her the flowers, and surprised her and Jack both by taking her in his arms and hugging her tightly. This wasn't the General. This was the man who'd become almost a father to her over the last few years.  
  
"How are you feeling, Sam?"  
  
"I'm better, Sir, thank you."  
  
"I tried to get a hold of Jacob, but he's on some hush hush mission. I'm sorry."  
  
"It's okay."  
  
Sam smelled the flowers Hammond handed her, and smiled. They were beautiful, and the thought behind them was even more special to her.  
  
"Thank you." She repeated.  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
"Would you like a beer, Sir?" Jack asked. "Want to stay for lunch?"  
  
"Would I be in the way?"  
  
"No," Sam said.  
  
"Daniel, Teal'c, Cassie and Frasier are all coming at 2:00. You can help me keep Teal'c from eating all the cake."  
  
"Cake?"  
  
"Trust me."  
  
"Okay. I think I will have a beer, Colonel."  
  
"Coming right up." 


	15. 15

There really was a cake. Daniel had decided that Jack had been serious, and he and Teal'c showed up on O'Neill's doorstep at 1:45 carrying a large two- layer chocolate cake. Teal'c was also holding a paper grocery bag filled with steaks.  
  
"Can we bar-b-que, Jack?" Daniel asked as he walked in. He handed the cake to O'neill, and headed for the kitchen. "Is it too late to make that decision?" He stepped up to Sam, who was in the kitchen with Hammond slicing tomatoes for a salad and wrapped his arms around her from behind.  
  
"Hi, Sam. How are you feeling?"  
  
Carter leaned back against him, but since she was holding a knife, she didn't try to turn and hug him.  
  
"I'm feeling better, Daniel, thank you."  
  
"You look wonderful."  
  
She couldn't see his face, but she knew from the very affection in his voice that he was absolutely serious, and Sam felt tears threatening. These she managed to quell, though. A little victory of her own, she supposed.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"So? Can we bar-b-que?"  
  
"If you want to do all the work."  
  
"Major Carter," Teal'c had come into the kitchen as well, and Sam turned as Hammond took the grocery bag from the Jaffa. The big man's face was impassive, as it normally was, but his eyes were alight with what could only be called love, and Sam smiled as he carefully dodged the knife in her hand and wrapped his arms around her and held her close for a moment.  
  
"It is good to see you up and about."  
  
She leaned against him, allowing his own formidable strength to flood her own depleted reserves, and sniffed despite her best intentions.  
  
"Thank you, Teal'c."  
  
Jack came in with the cake, and set it on the counter, then made a show of stepping between Sam and Teal'c, looking up at his big friend with a purely mock-jealous look.  
  
"Hey big guy, she's already taken."  
  
It made Sam laugh, as Jack had known it would, and when she pulled away from Teal'c's shielding body Carter wasn't so close to crying as she had been.  
  
"Daniel wants to bar-b-que. That okay with you guys?" She was asking Jack and Hammond both.  
  
"I'm just here for the free meal," Hammond told her as he added the lettuce to the salad bowl. "I don't care how it's cooked."  
  
"Bar-b-que is fine," Jack said. "I'll go set it up."  
  
"I'll help," Daniel told him, hugging Sam again as he passed her.  
  
"As will I."  
  
"I think I'll have a piece of cake," Hammond said.  
  
"You stay away from that cake." Jack told him. "Sam? Protect my cake, okay?"  
  
"He's a General, Jack. What am I supposed to do?" Carter was truly smiling now, and Hammond was glad to see it.  
  
"Think of something. You're a genius, for God's sake." He touched her cheek briefly, and then led Daniel and Teal'c out to the garage where he kept all the bar-b-que stuff.  
  
"He really loves you," Hammond noted as soon as they were gone. There had been no missing the genuine caring and love.  
  
"Yes, Sir, I know." She blushed slightly, but Hammond thought that only made her look more beautiful. "I love him, too."  
  
"I only mention that because I want you to understand that I know how much the two of you mean to each other. And because I wanted to let you know how much the two of you mean to me." Hammond shrugged, "Although I have to admit I wasn't happy when Jack first told me about the secret re-"  
  
"I'm sorry, Sir. We never-"  
  
"Major. It's all right. I'm not going to hold it against either of you. I wanted you to know that. I also wanted you to know that when you're feeling up to coming back to work, your place is going to be there waiting for you. With Jack still on the same team."  
  
"Thank you, Sir."  
  
"I consider the topic closed, Sam. Okay?"  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
"Good." Hammond reached for the cake. "Now to exercise a little Rank Hath Its Privilege..."  
  
The cake was saved by the ringing of the doorbell, and Hammond flinched, as all people do when they know they're doing something they're not supposed to be doing.  
  
"Damn."  
  
Carter laughed, "Will you get that, Sir?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
He turned and went to the hall, and Sam took the opportunity to hide the cake in the microwave.  
  
"General Hammond!"  
  
"Hi, Cassie, how are you?"  
  
"Good, is Sam around?"  
  
"She's in the kitchen." The girl ran by him, and he and Fraiser heard her greeting Sam, although they couldn't exactly hear what was being said.  
  
Hammond smiled and moved so the doctor could get in.  
  
"Did you think of-"  
  
"Yes, it's taken care of."  
  
"Good."  
  
"We're bar-b-queing, Janet," Sam said, as the two of them walked down the hall and into the kitchen. Cassie was pressed tightly against Sam's side, and Carter had one arms wrapped around the girl, holding her close.  
  
"Sounds good to me. I brought potato salad and deviled eggs."  
  
"I made the eggs," Cassie bragged.  
  
"Sounds great. Jack, Daniel and Teal'c are outside. Do you guys want anything to drink?"  
  
"Iced tea."  
  
"I'll have a beer."  
  
"Hey! What happened to the cake?" 


	16. 16

The steaks were perfect. Not because Daniel was all that great at bar-b- queing, but because Jack had taken over the cooking. He was an expert, he said, and it was his house. Although he did acknowledge that Teal'c and Daniel could help, since they brought the food. Fair was fair. He cooked the steaks, and then brought them up to the deck where Sam, Frasier and Hammond had set up a table and chairs, and had brought out the rest of the meal.  
  
It was a far more boisterous affair than it might have been, given the situation. Jack was at his outrageous best, doing everything he could to keep Sam's mind away from her loss, and Teal'c was the straight man for most of it. Teal'c was always the straight man. They talked about Daniel and Jack getting their braces off, and that naturally led to how they'd managed to get the breaks in the first place, which led to stories from camp. Only the stories of Jack, Daniel and Teal'c getting battered, though. And of course the stories of how the girls found Daniel so fascinating.  
  
"They still write me," he admitted, shaking his head. "All sorts of pink and purple envelopes, and poems. Oh, God, the poems!"  
  
"What does Sally think of them?" Sam asked, smiling.  
  
"She reads them with me, sometimes. Who wants cake?"  
  
Sam laughed, knowing that Daniel was changing the subject on purpose. He hated discussing his love life with Jack in the vicinity. O'Neill was far too adept at making fun of Daniel to give him any ammunition.  
  
"Cake sounds good. I'll get it." Jack said, standing up.  
  
"I'll help you," Sam offered.  
  
She followed him into the kitchen and Jack looked around.  
  
"Where is it?"  
  
"I had to hide it from Hammond." Sam opened the microwave, and pulled it out.  
  
"Clever."  
  
"Well, I am a genius."  
  
Jack waited for her to set it down on the counter, then pulled her into his arms. She went willingly, resting her head against his shoulder and closing her eyes.  
  
"How are you holding up?"  
  
"I'm fine, Jack. It was a good idea."  
  
"You're not feeling overwhelmed?"  
  
"Only a little. It's not so bad." She turned her head and pressed a kiss against his neck.  
  
"If you need me to kick them all out, let me know and I will."  
  
"I'll tell you."  
  
He held her for another long moment, and it was Sam who pulled away from him. She reached for the cake and gestured to the cupboard with her chin.  
  
"Get some plates, okay? And a knife."  
  
"Yes, ma'am."  
  
They munched on the defenseless cake, demolishing most of it before Jack and Teal'c finally gave up on their 'who can eat the most' contest. Teal'c was easily a bigger eater than O'Neill, but when it came to cake Jack gave him a run for his money. Of course, when they both felt like they wouldn't be able to hold another piece down, and when even Cassie was staring at them in disbelief, they decided enough was enough. They pushed their plates away, and leaned back in their chairs, soaking in the sun and trying to figure out how to make it up to their stomachs while the others talked about some off the wall project that Daniel was working on.  
  
All in all, it was a fine way to pass the day, and it was a reaffirmation to Sam that she was with the people she loved.  
  
~*~  
  
Their company left in the late evening. It might have been sooner, except Sam brought out a deck of cards, and Teal'c spent a while teaching Cassie how to play Rummy. Jack joined in the game, with Sam playing his advisor, and Daniel joined in as well, even though he rarely came out the victor when it came to Rummy. He was too bad at discarding. Thought too much, Jack always told him. Hammond excused himself sometime around then, saying he had to get back home, and he gave Sam another hug before he left, and murmured something in her ear that only she could hear. She smiled, and nodded, and returned his hug, then walked him to the door.  
  
It was a school night, so Cassie and Janet left next. Cassie promised to call Sam the next day, and told Sam if she wanted company to give her a call.  
  
"She has company," Jack told the girl as he hugged her good-bye.  
  
"You're a guy, Jack." Cassie said. "You don't count."  
  
With that cryptic statement, she ran out the door, followed by Fraiser, who'd left Sam with instructions to call if she needed anything. She gave Jack a look that plainly said the same thing, and Jack nodded as well.  
  
Teal'c and Daniel were around a little later. They helped Jack and Sam clean up the kitchen, doing the dishes and taking care of all the leftover food. Teal'c looked especially out of place with his powerful arms elbow deep in soapy water, but the Jaffa didn't mind helping, and no one was about to ask him about dishpan hands.  
  
When the two of them left – taking loads of leftovers with them – Jack wrapped his arms around Carter and hugged her tight.  
  
"How do you feel?"  
  
"A little tired." She admitted, leaning against him.  
  
"Bedtime, then," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Do you want some tea?"  
  
She shook her head, "I don't think so. I'd just fall asleep before it got cool enough to drink."  
  
He nodded, and the two of them went into the bedroom. True to her word, Sam was asleep almost before she got comfortable against Jack's side. He didn't mind. She'd had a long day, and needed a chance to catch up. Jack did, too, he knew. He cradled her in his arms as she slept, her cheek resting against his chest, and his hand caressing her bare skin idly as he allowed himself to relax and drift off as well. 


	17. 17

Sam woke Jack the next morning. Actually, it was the fact that Sam wasn't with him that finally registered in his sleeping mind. He'd fallen asleep with a wonderful weight resting against his stomach and chest, and with a warm body pressed against him, and now there was nothing. He opened his eyes and sat up, looking around.  
  
Daylight was filtering through the room, telling him that it was probably later than he'd intended to sleep. The sun was well up to judge by the bright light that was casting shadows onto his far wall. He didn't really notice any of this, just filed it with his senses as he woke. He had only one thought on his mind, and that was Carter.  
  
He slid out of bed and pulled on a pair of boxers, then went out into the hall and down to the living room. Sam was sitting on the couch, completely dressed, and she had company. A lot of company.  
  
"Jacob."  
  
Sam's father looked up when Jack approached, and couldn't help the grin that creased his face. O'Neill had obviously just woken up, and it showed. Not only was he mostly naked, but his hair was messy, and he had that slightly rumpled look about him that someone has when they just got out of bed.  
  
"Good afternoon, Jack."  
  
"Afternoon?" He turned and looked at the clock on the DVD player, and saw that it said it was well into the afternoon. 2:30? How had he managed to sleep so long?  
  
"O'Neill. Major Carter informed us you were still asleep. However, we decided to come over anyways." Teal'c was seated next to Jacob Carter, and was as unflappable as always, even by Jack's sudden appearance.  
  
"Um... hi, Jack." Daniel had looked over his shoulder and couldn't help but smile.  
  
Sam grinned, unable to control herself.  
  
"Do I have to ask how you slept?"  
  
"I slept fine." Jack said, scowling at the grin, although Sam knew it wasn't his actual 'I'm pissed at everyone around me' scowl. It was more the look that he gave people when he was trying to figure out a puzzle. Like the puzzle of where all the people had come from when the last thing he knew, he was in bed with just one. He looked down at himself, and turned around, not even saying anything else. Clothes. He needed clothes.  
  
And maybe some more cake.  
  
~*~  
  
When he returned to the living room a few minutes later, he was wearing slacks and a button down shirt. It wasn't buttoned, but he'd been in a little bit of a hurry. He sat down on the other side of Sam, and looked over at Jacob.  
  
"How's it going Jacob?"  
  
"Fine, Jack. Thanks."  
  
It was pretty obvious that her father knew everything that had happened to Sam, so Jack didn't bother to ask. He did check Sam over really quick.  
  
"Did you eat?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Good."  
  
He was going to complain about her leaving him to sleep, but he would have left her to sleep, more than likely, so he could hardly blame her for that.  
  
"Are you hungry, Jack?" Jacob asked, grinning.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
He stood up and went to the kitchen, seeing the remains of what had been a fairly large meal.  
  
"What have you been up to, Jacob?" Jack asked as he looked around the kitchen.  
  
"A little of this. A little of that. You know... secret stuff."  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
Jack was actually pleased the man was here. It meant a lot to Sam that her father would show up, and it showed that Jacob had his priorities set right, as well. Jack had always liked Jacob, this just affirmed that liking. O'Neill found what he was looking for, and put a slice of cake on a plate, and came back into the living room to sit next to Sam once more. Daniel looked at him like he was nuts.  
  
"More cake?"  
  
Jack had just stuffed a huge bite into his mouth and he looked over at Daniel, innocence personified.  
  
"Wah?"  
  
Sam grinned, and Jack looked at her, too, shrugging and giving her his puzzled look.  
  
"Wha?"  
  
"Jack?" Jacob drew his attention back from Sam. "I'm going to take Sam out for dinner and some shopping. Would you like to come?"  
  
"Shopping?"  
  
Jacob shrugged. "I need to get some things. The Tok'ra are good at filling their needs, but I have a few tastes that require a mall."  
  
"And a liquor store?"  
  
Jacob grinned, "That too."  
  
Jack put an arm around Sam, looking at her to see what she wanted. Did she want a break from him? Maybe she'd like some time with her dad alone?  
  
"Sam?"  
  
"Whatever you want, Jack."  
  
"I'll take good care of her, Jack."  
  
"I know you will, Jacob." Jack grinned. "You guys go ahead. I'll do some stuff around here."  
  
"Perhaps you would accompany Daniel Jackson and I, O'Neill?"  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"Ball game."  
  
"You're going to a ball game?"  
  
"Indeed."  
  
Jack looked at Daniel.  
  
"A baseball game?"  
  
"Yup. A friend of a friend has some season tickets he couldn't use. So he gave them to me."  
  
Jack shrugged. A ball game might be fun. And if Sam was certain she didn't need him, then he was willing to go.  
  
"Okay. Sounds good."  
  
Sam smiled, and passed the rest of them a conspiratorial smile. Fraiser had mentioned to her the day before that Jack might need a day out. Not a day away from her, but a day where he could go and forget about what had happened as well. Jacob's arrival early that morning and the fact that Jack had slept far later than Sam had expected him to, had offered Sam the perfect opportunity to scheme something together with Teal'c, Daniel and her father. Jacob would spend time with his daughter, and Jack would go off with the guys for the evening. 


	18. 18

Sam and Jacob stayed at the house until Jack, Teal'c and Daniel left, then the Air Force General turned Tok'ra offered his arm to his daughter and the two of them left as well.  
  
"Whose car is this, dad?" Sam asked when he opened the door to a very nice teal Jaguar. A foreign car he'd never have bought for himself. It wasn't one she'd seen before.  
  
"It's George's wife's car. Brand new. She hasn't even seen it yet."  
  
"Ooooh. Nice." Sam smiled, enjoying the new car smell.  
  
"It's good to see you smile, Sam." Jacob said, getting into the driver's seat and looking over at her. "When I got the message that something had happened, I was so worried. Then when I got here and George told me what it was..."  
  
Sam nodded, "It was bad at first. I blamed myself."  
  
"I was told that there wasn't anything you could have done differently," Jacob said. "Except you put yourself in danger by not going to the doctor when you started feeling poorly."  
  
"I didn't know anything was wrong. I didn't even-"  
  
"I'm not blaming you, Sammy," Jacob told her, reaching out and cupping her cheek with his palm. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her. "I'm just saying... next time, go to the damned doctor before it gets so bad. Okay?"  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
"Good. You're feeling a little better, now? No pain?"  
  
"No pain. Some depression, when I stop and think about things... sometimes."  
  
"Then we'll just take your mind off things, hey? Time to go shopping with your old man."  
  
"Something we haven't done in a long time."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
He put the car in gear, and headed for the mall.  
  
~*~  
  
The game was the last game of a four game series between the Mariners and the Rockies. Which meant it was a game that Jack actually was interested in watching. He enjoyed going to ballparks, anyways. It was even more fun with Teal'c, who was going for the first time. He'd seen a few games on TV with O'Neill, so he wasn't completely lost, but he did lost track of outs, strikes and balls fairly easily. There were so many other things to watch. Including the kids that were going to the ballpark with their parents. Teal'c had found that he enjoyed human children, and he enjoyed watching them. They were refreshing. Of course, he was well aware that he was an imposing figure and that it might make the children and their parents uneasy to have someone such as himself staring at them, so he watched them surreptitiously. Which made him lose track of what was happening in the ball game. Which made him have to ask what was going on.  
  
Daniel and Teal'c also kept the conversations they had from going to what had happened to Sam. They'd been given the assignment of making sure that Jack had a relaxing day, whether he knew he was having it or not, and they took that duty seriously. Whenever either of them say him getting a faraway look in his eyes, they'd speak up with a question about the game, or ask him if he wanted some peanuts, or a hotdog, or something else to eat. Which was fine in that it took his mind off his inner thoughts, but he was feeling very ill by the time he and the others left the game about four hours later. An overindulgence of ballpark food will do that to anyone.  
  
They went out to get a couple beers afterwards. Jack hadn't really wanted to go, telling Teal'c and Daniel he wanted to get back to Sam. They headed that off by telling him she probably wasn't back yet, so he might as well come with them instead of sitting around the house. Besides, she was with Jacob, and he wasn't going to leave her until he got back. So they went out drinking.  
  
And Jack drank far more than he normally would have. He wasn't drinking beer. He'd had one beer, and then switched to the hard stuff, taking shot after shot. By the time Daniel realized what was going on, Jack was soused. They poured him into his truck and took him home.  
  
~*~  
  
Sam and Jacob had had a wonderful day together. He took her shopping, although neither of them bought all that much, and then he took her to dinner. A few times during the day and into the evening, Jacob would notice a sad, hurt look in her eyes, and he'd reach out and make sure she knew she wasn't alone. Once she'd broken down and cried and Jacob had gathered her in his arms and held her until the crying jag had passed. Listening to her through the day, Jacob realized that he owed Jack a great deal. The Colonel was doing wonders keeping Sam from succumbing to her depression, and Jacob was grateful.  
  
They'd had dinner, then he'd taken her back to O'Neill's, where they sat and talked into the night as they waited for Daniel and Teal'c to bring Jack home. It was fairly late by the time they heard the truck pull into the drive, and Jacob wondered what they'd been out doing. A question that was answered fairly easily when Teal'c half-dragged, half carried, O'Neill into the house.  
  
"Jacob!" Jack called in greeting. "Howyadoing?"  
  
"He's drunk." Jacob said to Daniel, looking at the Colonel, who looked very green, indeed.  
  
"Um, yeah." Daniel said, looking at Sam apologetically. "Sorry."  
  
"You got him drunk?" Sam said. "That's not really what Fraiser had in mind, I think."  
  
"I didn't do it on purpose, Sam," Daniel told her.  
  
"Teal'c, let's get him to bed," Jacob said, leaving Daniel to face Sam's wrath alone.  
  
"Oh, I think we need to stop at the bathroom," Jack said, slurring every word, and feeling the contents of his stomach beginning to lose the will to stay in his stomach.  
  
"Bathroom, Teal'c!" Jacob ordered. "Before he-"  
  
Too late. Jack's stomach erupted, doubling him over in Teal'c's strong grip. He threw up all over himself, all over Teal'c and Jacob, and all over the hall floor. Sam and Daniel were the only two that avoided the mess, and only because they weren't close enough to get hit by it.  
  
"Shit." This was from Sam, but Jacob and Teal'c both heartily agreed with it. Jack was a mess, and showed every sign of another eruption any minute.  
  
"Let's get him to the bathroom, Teal'c." This was not Jacob's idea of a good time, and Selmac was even less impressed.  
  
The big Jaffa pretty much dragged O'Neill to the bathroom, where the two of them stripped him out of his messed up clothes. Jacob held him upright in the bathtub while Teal'c turned on the shower, and they drenched themselves, but managed to get him mostly clean. Even better, he managed to keep from hurling on the two of them again.  
  
"Perhaps this was not the most ideal plan," Teal'c said as he got a towel and dried Jack off while Jacob continued to hold him upright.  
  
"Whose idea was it to go drinking?"  
  
"Daniel Jackson's. O'Neill wished to return, but was convinced otherwise."  
  
"Uh huh." Now look who got to pay for that dumb idea. Everyone but Daniel. "Let's put him to bed."  
  
"Is he in any danger of doing injury to himself in his condition?" Teal'c asked as they carried Jack between them across the hall and just out him to bed. He was pretty much out of it, now, and not at all aware of what was going on around him.  
  
"Nah, but when he wakes up in the morning, he's going to wish he was dead."  
  
Teal'c didn't ask for an explanation, he just took Jacob at his word. The two of them made sure Jack was covered up, and left him to pass out in peace. 


	19. This one is rated PG16 WARNING

Author's note: Okay, I put a warning in the chapter title, but I'm going to add it here as well. THIS CHAPTER IS A BIT NAUGHTY. (That doesn't mean you should skip ahead to read the love scene, but I wanted you all to be warned, in case anyone finds it offensive) If you don't want to read it, just skip this chapter... or the part after the 2nd ~*~ thing.  
  
~*~  
  
"Jack?"  
  
He was sprawled in the bed, and Sam wanted a little bit of it for herself. It was late, she was tired, and Daniel, Teal'c and her father had left only a little while ago. (After she made Daniel help her clean the hall floor)  
  
"Hmmm?"  
  
"Jack?" She nudged him slightly, hoping to wake him up.  
  
"Sam? You okay?" He wasn't awake, and she could tell. He was speaking, but it was an automatic reaction, and not a real conversation.  
  
Carter sighed, cursing Daniel's dumb idea once more. Getting him drunk? For God's sake, what had he been thinking? She sat down on the edge of the bed, and tried to scoot him over a little. It didn't work, and she felt frustration well up in her, followed closely by tears. She was tired, and she wanted to go to sleep, and she didn't want to sleep alone. And she couldn't get him to wake up enough to move over to give her some room. Sam didn't blame Jack, but he wasn't helping things any. She sniffed, trying to gather her control back before she truly started bawling over such a little thing.  
  
He heard the sniff. He was half-awake, and even drunk and fairly well out of it, he knew and recognized the sounds of her distress and reacted to them. He rolled over, looking for her through blurry eyes that seemed to be having trouble focusing.  
  
"Sam? What's wrong?"  
  
She took the opportunity to slide under the blankets with him, before he could move back.  
  
"Nothing, I just couldn't get into bed."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Go back to sleep, Jack," Sam said, thinking that she was just going to have to throttle Daniel the next time she saw him.  
  
"You're crying..."  
  
"No, I'm okay." He was trying to wake up, and she was trying to soothe him back to sleep. It was a battle of wills that O'Neill wasn't going to win this time. "Go to sleep, Jack."  
  
"Need held?"  
  
Considering he was facing the wrong direction to hold her, Sam had to smile. She rolled over onto her side and pressed against his back as she ran a hand lovingly along his bare hip.  
  
"I always need to be held, but you need to go to sleep." Besides, she didn't want to chance that he was going to throw up again.  
  
He rolled over, anyways, probably in response to her touch, or maybe just because he wanted to hold her. Either way, she was suddenly belly-to-belly with him, and was gathered comfortably in his strong embrace. It was a very intimate position, and if she was less tired, and he was less drunk, there was no doubt where it would have led. As it was, she dozed off almost immediately and he passed out again before she was asleep.  
  
~*~  
  
Waking up was awful. Jack opened his eyes, and groaned as he closed them again. It was too bright. Too bright. God, when had they moved the sun into his bedroom? He burrowed his face into the pillow, trying to get the starbursts that were going off behind his eyelids to stop. They were giving him a headache. Or just making the one he already had seem worse. Either way, it didn't matter. He felt like his brains were trying to squeeze out of his ears.  
  
He felt someone move close by. Extremely close by. Someone who was warm and soft, and naked, and he prayed that it was Sam and not Daniel or Teal'c, or worse, someone he didn't know at all. He didn't dare open his eyes again. Instead, he ran a hand along the body that was pressed close to him, feeling curves that Daniel or Teal'c definitely didn't have,  
  
"Please be Sam," He groaned into the pillow.  
  
A tired giggle replied, and he felt a relief flood through him. It sounded like Sam. She took his hand and guided it along her curves once more, and he pulled her close as he began to respond to her nearness.  
  
"Feeling better?" Sam asked as her hand began to stroke him tenderly.  
  
"My head is killing me." She stopped what she was doing, and he guided her hand back to where it had been. "Don't stop."  
  
"You sure?" She asked, smiling when she felt the evidence that he was positive.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure..." He dared to open his eyes once more, wanting to look at her, but the sun was still burning brightly in his room, and he gasped and closed them again. "Oh, God... What happened to me?"  
  
"Daniel got you drunk."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I don't think it was on purpose," Sam said, smiling even though he couldn't see her face. She sighed in pleasure when his hand resumed its path along her body and pressed against him with a little more urgency. She was ready for him, and didn't want to talk any more just then. There were more pressing concerns to deal with. He nibbled the sensitive skin of her neck, and rolled her onto her back, following her body with his own. Burying his head between her shoulder and neck to keep the sun from boring into his eyes, Jack entered her eagerly, as Sam arched up to meet him.  
  
They both gasped at the sensation, a sensation that never got old now matter how many times they joined together, and they held still for a moment, each savoring the pleasure of that first contact. He waited for her to begin to move under him, her sign that she wanted him to continue, and then he made love to her. Tenderly at first, until they were both wild with need, then harder, whispering her name hoarsely as he brought them both to an exquisite and explosive finish.  
  
"God, I love you," Jack murmured against her bare skin, holding her as they trembled afterwards. Sam ran her fingers gently through his sweat-dampened hair, and thought that he had a great way of proving it.  
  
"I love you, too," She whispered. She toyed with the notion of getting up and getting started with their day, but realized they didn't have anything that had to be done just then. Instead, Carter cuddled even closer to him, and allowed herself to drift back into the sleep his original groan of pain had interrupted.  
  
Jack was going to make a comment about how the guy was supposed to be the one who fell asleep, but she wouldn't have heard it anyways. He was aware enough to pull the blankets back up over them, but that was all he managed to do before he, too, fell asleep. 


	20. 20

When he woke again, Sam was still comfortably cradled in his arms. And his head was still pounding. He risked opening his eyes, which still hurt, although not so badly that he couldn't keep them open this time. Looking down at Carter, he saw that her eyes were open and she'd been watching him sleep. She smiled when she saw he was awake, and Jack felt his belly flip- flop in a way that had nothing to do with all the alcohol and ballpark food he'd consumed the day before.  
  
"Good morning," Sam whispered.  
  
"Good morning." His voice was more of a croak, and she smiled again. An expression he was so glad to see on her face that he would have let her make fun of him all day just to keep seeing it. "How long have you been awake?"  
  
"A while."  
  
"You should have woke me."  
  
"Nah. I figured you needed the sleep. Besides, I'm comfortable."  
  
He nodded agreement with that.  
  
"How do you feel?"  
  
"Awful."  
  
"Hung over?"  
  
"I don't even remember coming home last night."  
  
"Dad and Teal'c will remember it for a long time," Carter said, grinning. "You threw up all over them."  
  
"I did not." Did he?  
  
"Oh, but you did."  
  
He was silent for a moment, trying to remember, but nothing was coming to him. His entire night was a blur. He couldn't even remember who won the game.  
  
"I don't remember..."  
  
"It's probably just as well." Sam went quiet for a while, long enough for Jack to wonder if maybe she'd fallen asleep. Then she spoke again, and this time the humor in her voice was gone. "I've been laying here thinking."  
  
"Yeah?" He sifted his fingers through her hair gently. "About what, Sam?"  
  
"You. Me. The baby." This time her voice didn't sound as heartbroken as it had every other time she'd mentioned what had happened. Jack tightened his grip on her, anyways, and Sam responded by pressing close. She still needed the comfort. "It's not the end of the world..." it was obvious – even to Jack – that she'd been telling herself that over and over. "I didn't know how much I wanted that baby until we lost it," she said.  
  
"I know."  
  
"But I can't let it stop me." She turned her head up and looked into his brown eyes, and saw love. "I have you. And someday, I'm going to have your baby. Until then, I've got to pull myself together and take care of my responsibilities. I'm needed."  
  
"Yes, you are." He agreed.  
  
"And loved."  
  
"Completely. Utterly."  
  
"I have good friends who will be there to support me when you can't be around to."  
  
"I'll always be around."  
  
"You have responsibilities, too."  
  
"You're my main responsibility, Sam. Nothing takes precedence. Not the SGC, not any of the aliens, nothing."  
  
She knew he was serious. She also knew that it meant she needed to get back to work. He wasn't going to get back to work himself until he knew that she was going to be able to, and he was needed, too. As much as she was. More?  
  
"I love you, Jack."  
  
"I love you, too, Sam."  
  
"I'm going to call Hammond today and ask him to put me back to work. Light duty, at first. Until I'm sure I'm not going to start crying at the drop of a hat."  
  
"There's no rush."  
  
There was a rush, but Sam didn't correct him. She leaned her cheek against his chest, and closed her eyes.  
  
"I'm ready. I think."  
  
"I'll stick around, though, just in case you need me. Okay?  
  
"I never doubted that for a moment, Jack." 


	21. Epilogue

Epilogue  
  
~*~  
  
The gate flared, brightening the room for a moment before dimming back into a muted blue. Jack O'Neill stood at the base of the ramp, double checking his gear, and making sure his P-90 was set to fire. Just in case. Satisfied, he turned and looked at the other members of his team, checking their readiness with a glance.  
  
Daniel was ready. He looked more and more comfortable with the weapons every time they went out, and Jack briefly remembered the very first trip the two of them had ever taken through the gate together. What a newbie he'd been, then. Smiling slightly at the memory, he turned towards Teal'c, but knew that the Jaffa was ready without even needing to check. Teal'c was always ready. Then he turned to his left to check the last member.  
  
Sam was holding her P-90 as competently as Jack was, and he knew she was just as god a shot as he was, if necessary. She caught his eye, knowing the question before he asked it, and answering with a nod. She was ready for this. Had been ready for a while now, but had only been held back by a Commanding Officer that wanted to make sure. He was sure, now.  
  
O'Neill turned and looked up at the bullet-proof glass window that house the main control room of the SGC and saw Hammond standing there. He gave the General a nod, telling him that they were set. Hammond nodded back, and turned on the intercom.  
  
"SG-1, you have a go. Good luck."  
  
The General watched silently as his premier team headed up the ramp, and then stepped through the gate, bravely facing whatever new situation might come. Then he turned and headed for his office.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
A Sergeant was racing to catch him, and Hammond turned, wondering what was the matter.  
  
"Yes, Sergeant?"  
  
"A janitor found this, Sir. Lying on the floor last night as he was cleaning. It looked important, so he returned it."  
  
Hammond looked at the paper the Sergeant handed him. It was a very official looking memo from the President of the United States.  
  
"I didn't know transfers weren't allowed from SG teams, Sir," The Sergeant said, looking at the paper. "I thought that Lieutenant-"  
  
"They're allowed, Sergeant. This document isn't an official form. See this? It's printed on regular typewriter paper. Orders from the President come on White House paper with the security linings. Someone's obviously messing around with a mimeograph machine." Hammond did his best to look pissed off. "Have that document destroyed, Sergeant, if you would. And don't discuss it with anyone."  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
He waited until the Sergeant had walked back down the hall, then Hammond turned back towards his office, a grin on his face. 


End file.
